How Winston Churchill Changed the World

Overview

Explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Britain’s greatest statesman in this 24-lecture course, from his early military exploits to his defiant WWII leadership and Cold War foresight.

Course No. 8400

Professor Michael Shelden reveals how Churchill’s vision, rhetoric, and political acumen shaped 20th-century history—with both triumphs and controversies.

Course Content

The Making of a Leader

1. Young Churchill’s Adventures (29 min)
   • Cavalry charges, Boer War escape, and early politics

• Rise to Power (29 min)
  • Liberal reforms to First Lord of the Admiralty

3. WWI Disaster & Redemption (28 min)
   • Gallipoli failure to Western Front comeback

Defying Tyranny

4. Warning Against Hitler (30 min)
   • 1930s speeches predicting Nazi threat

5. 1940: Britain’s Darkest Hour (29 min)
   • Dunkirk evacuation and “Finest Hour” speech

6. Mastering the Blitz (29 min)
   • RAF strategy and morale-building broadcasts

Global Strategist

7. Alliance with Roosevelt (31 min)
   • Lend-Lease and special relationship

• Confronting Stalin (31 min)
  • Tehran to Yalta: early Cold War foresight

9. Controversial Decisions (30 min)
   • Dresden bombing and colonial blind spots

Legacy & Lessons

10. Postwar Comeback (27 min)
    • 1950s return to power amid Cold War

11. Freedom’s Champion (30 min)
    • How Churchill’s ideas still shape geopolitics

12. The Indispensable Man? (30 min)
    • Assessing Churchill’s historical impact